Can you give us a brief history about yourself and how you came to be where you are.
I grew up in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia then my family moved to Halifax when I was 12. I started playing music when I was 14 years old to have something to do with some friends. We called ourselves Nabisco Fonzie. When we started writing our own songs at 16 years old we changed our name to Thrush Hermit (named after a bird called the Hermit Thrush, we thought it sounded like Pink Floyd or something or Coney Hatch totally 1970's. Unbeknownst to us, with a name like that we were destined for failure in the UK!). We started touring when we finished high school, opening for our friends, Sloan. We signed a record deal with Elektra in the US in 1996. In 1999 we released our last and best record, Clayton Park, and then broke up. I had a solo record come out that same year called In Need of Medical Attention. I was 25. On the heels of the Hermit break up, I formed a three piece band called The Joel Plaskett Emergency with Dave Marsh (drums) and Timmy Brennan (bass). We made two cool records and toured Canada a lot and built up a really solid fan base. In 2004 I recorded another solo record called Ladeda and have flipped back and forth between Emergency band records and solo records. I've built up my audience through touring and playing different venues. Rock bars, tiny songwriter venues, theatres and outdoor gigs. The biggest gig was last year when The Emergency opened for Paul McCartney in Halifax to 40,000 people.
What was the idea behind your latest album Three? Was it due to it being your third solo album or was there something deeper, due to there being alot of threes included in the album in one way or another?
Three came from a few places. It was my third solo album, I was 33 when I recorded it and many of the songs came together as titles being the same word three times (Rollin, Rollin, Rollin). So I made a triple album! Thematically the records are divided into three connected themes. Going away (being left behind), being alone, and returning home. Simple but I wanted to make something sprawling that reflected the life I live and the things I think about.
You've done quite alot of touring over the years and with 2 tours of the Uk just this year, you must be pretty comfortable with moving around. So how do you actually find touring? Is it hard being away from home for so long?
Leaving home isn't getting any easier but touring is an important part of my life. Travelling can be interesting and I meet a lot of great people. I like conversations, especially in Ireland. I love performing and bringing the songs to people but there are only so many days in the year. I really focused on the UK and Ireland this year but I had to bow out of an Australian tour that started at Christmas. There's only so much that can happen at once and I want to make sure when I go somewhere that all the ducks are in a row and I'm ready to rock.
Has anything ever happened to you whilst you've been on the road over here?
not quite sure how to answer than one... I drank too much whiskey a few times but all in all it rolled pretty smoothly.
During your set supporting Barenaked Ladies you played a kids toy keyboard that cost you only a few dollars, do you like experimenting with new sounds and weird instruments?
Yeah, I like weird instruments but I'm a hack on piano. I have a variety of guitars at home because I find there is a different song in all of them. I try to find old unique instruments. I also like old drum machines. They sound freaking cool. Like JJ Cale.
My Space seems to be a big tool in the music industry these days, with artists communicating with their fans over it and some even ditching their own website and having just a My Space site, what are your opinions on My Space as a tool in the music industry?
Sure! Whatever works and helps bring people to the shows. Having said that, the internet could go away and I'd be a happy person without it.
Where would you like to see yourself this time next year?
In the mirror. Yes, I'm still alive!
One last question that we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra and a giraffe which would you be and why?
Probably a giraffe. I'm tall and skinny too. Zebras are a little showy.
Thanks for your time; do you have a message for your fans reading this?
Dear fans, You keep me cool. Thanks, Joel
I grew up in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia then my family moved to Halifax when I was 12. I started playing music when I was 14 years old to have something to do with some friends. We called ourselves Nabisco Fonzie. When we started writing our own songs at 16 years old we changed our name to Thrush Hermit (named after a bird called the Hermit Thrush, we thought it sounded like Pink Floyd or something or Coney Hatch totally 1970's. Unbeknownst to us, with a name like that we were destined for failure in the UK!). We started touring when we finished high school, opening for our friends, Sloan. We signed a record deal with Elektra in the US in 1996. In 1999 we released our last and best record, Clayton Park, and then broke up. I had a solo record come out that same year called In Need of Medical Attention. I was 25. On the heels of the Hermit break up, I formed a three piece band called The Joel Plaskett Emergency with Dave Marsh (drums) and Timmy Brennan (bass). We made two cool records and toured Canada a lot and built up a really solid fan base. In 2004 I recorded another solo record called Ladeda and have flipped back and forth between Emergency band records and solo records. I've built up my audience through touring and playing different venues. Rock bars, tiny songwriter venues, theatres and outdoor gigs. The biggest gig was last year when The Emergency opened for Paul McCartney in Halifax to 40,000 people.
What was the idea behind your latest album Three? Was it due to it being your third solo album or was there something deeper, due to there being alot of threes included in the album in one way or another?
Three came from a few places. It was my third solo album, I was 33 when I recorded it and many of the songs came together as titles being the same word three times (Rollin, Rollin, Rollin). So I made a triple album! Thematically the records are divided into three connected themes. Going away (being left behind), being alone, and returning home. Simple but I wanted to make something sprawling that reflected the life I live and the things I think about.
You've done quite alot of touring over the years and with 2 tours of the Uk just this year, you must be pretty comfortable with moving around. So how do you actually find touring? Is it hard being away from home for so long?
Leaving home isn't getting any easier but touring is an important part of my life. Travelling can be interesting and I meet a lot of great people. I like conversations, especially in Ireland. I love performing and bringing the songs to people but there are only so many days in the year. I really focused on the UK and Ireland this year but I had to bow out of an Australian tour that started at Christmas. There's only so much that can happen at once and I want to make sure when I go somewhere that all the ducks are in a row and I'm ready to rock.
Has anything ever happened to you whilst you've been on the road over here?
not quite sure how to answer than one... I drank too much whiskey a few times but all in all it rolled pretty smoothly.
During your set supporting Barenaked Ladies you played a kids toy keyboard that cost you only a few dollars, do you like experimenting with new sounds and weird instruments?
Yeah, I like weird instruments but I'm a hack on piano. I have a variety of guitars at home because I find there is a different song in all of them. I try to find old unique instruments. I also like old drum machines. They sound freaking cool. Like JJ Cale.
My Space seems to be a big tool in the music industry these days, with artists communicating with their fans over it and some even ditching their own website and having just a My Space site, what are your opinions on My Space as a tool in the music industry?
Sure! Whatever works and helps bring people to the shows. Having said that, the internet could go away and I'd be a happy person without it.
Where would you like to see yourself this time next year?
In the mirror. Yes, I'm still alive!
One last question that we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra and a giraffe which would you be and why?
Probably a giraffe. I'm tall and skinny too. Zebras are a little showy.
Thanks for your time; do you have a message for your fans reading this?
Dear fans, You keep me cool. Thanks, Joel
I love Joel Plaskett ! I go to school pretty close to where he is from, so I have seen him three times now and met him once. It was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed this interview! I am glad I came across it.
ReplyDeleteGood interview. Check this one out, too:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thickspecs.com/my_weblog/2009/06/guest-column---joel-plaskett-interviewed.html